Over time straps of various shapes and sizes have been used in footwear such as sandals, slippers, clogs, flip-flops and T-bar sandals, for restraining the foot against a foot-bed. Footwear straps are generally either attached directly to the foot-bed or fastened using a connector. These connectors have either been hard fastened to the foot-bed or sole of the sandal or removable connectors have been attached directly to the outer surface of the foot-bed or have extended completely through the foot-bed and sole. These different connections are limited in terms of movement and typically lock the strap in place without allowing for a break-away if a need arises to safely free the foot during extreme conditions.
The limitations of the rigid connections result in minimal to no pivoting or flexing of the strap under the normal forces of the foot when walking, thus resulting in fatigue or pre-mature failure of the strap. Additionally, when the connection extends through the sole, the connector is exposed to constant debris, which can also result in fatigue and premature failure of the connection. These premature failures result in replacement of not only the strap, which is wanted for style in some cases, but also the connector and ultimately the complete sandal.
Therefore, there is a need in the art of footwear for a strap restraint that both locks the foot in place while having a feature of safely breaking away in some circumstances under extreme loads. Additionally, there is a need for a releasable connection that promotes natural foot movement while inhibiting unwanted fatigue and failure. There is also a need for a connection system that precludes damage to the connector by keeping the connector within the sole, which eliminates exposure to debris and other elements that may create unwanted fatigue and failure.